Courtney, yes, I made Hoppin' John tonight for myself and a friend -- we really liked it, too! I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks again for testing!

Kleopatra, the okra went into the Hoppin' John, and as far as I can tell, the purple garlic is just garlic with purple stripes on its skin. The cloves seem to be a bit smaller than regular garlic, but that could just be the head that I picked out.